13.07.2019 Tadcaster Albion 1 Spennymoor Town 2

Taddy battled all the way against the Moors who just missed promotion last season to the National League .

Warm sunny conditions throughout the match made for an energy sapping encounter. The pitch was in perfect condition.
Casey Stewart’s early free kick eluded everyone and went for a goal kick, whilst the visitors looked composed and had the better of possession in the opening 15 minutes, Good play between Spennymoor’s’ Curtis and Ramshaw saw the ball drilled across the Tadcaster goal mouth but cleared. Alex Wiles was just wide from 25 yards.

The visitors were awarded a dubious penalty on 20 minutes when Boyes went down after he had unleashed a ball which cleared the bar; there was a suggestion that Jake Rose had in someway impeded the striker, a point lost on the home fans. Boyes hit the penalty low and straight down the middle – Michael Ingham got a foot to it but not enough to prevent a goal. 0 – 1

Tadcaster pushed for an equaliser. Their best chance of the match came on the half hour mark when Stewart got on the end of Wiles cross and at the second attempt, fired in a goal bound effort only to see it deflected by Buddle; the resulting corner was headed over the bar but it was close.

One down at the interval was unfortunate given the chances created by both sides.

Aaron Burn was on for Ingham for the restart whilst Jake Day replaced Keightley with Stewart moving to the wing. The big man’s presence focussed the Tadcaster attack as he harried the Moors back four. There was another double substitution when Henry Rollinson stepped in for Healy and Jason Mycoe for Rose

With Owen Marshall commanding in the back four, the visitors found it hard to penetrate the home defence but the Brewers could do nothing on 69 minutes when on the end of a through ball from Roberts, McKenna found himself on a one on one with Burn and despatched the ball under the keeper for Spennymoor’s second goal. 0 – 2.

Full credit to Taddy – not for a moment did their heads drop and they got their just desserts with 15 minutes left on the clock; Donald Chimalilo was on a run into the Moors 6 yard area when he was adjudged to have been tripped by Curtis – Jake Day sent Gould the wrong way. 1 – 2

With Adam Jones on for Chimalilo and Jared Smalling for Mbeka, play was still fairly level between the two teams but an equaliser looked possible as Ray chased a long ball into the opposing box and when Gould rushed out to quell the danger it looked very much as if he handled the ball just beyond the 18 yard line. The referee waived play on much to the dismay of the home supporters.

And so it ended 1 – 2 but there were so many positives for Tadcaster to take from the match, that it felt like a home win!! It was a very satisfied Curtis Woodhouse after the game.

Taddy must now prepare themselves for next Wednesday’s visit to the i2i Stadium of a Leeds United X1. A big crowd is expected for this match which kicks off at 7.45 pm

Tadcaster – Ingham (Burn), Heeley (Rollinson), Walters, Rose (Mycoe), Marshall, Milne, Chimalilo (Jones), Mbeka (Smalling) Stewart, Wiles, Keightley (Day)